Establishing voting rights a key challenge
The Election Commission (EC) has struggled to guarantee that all registered voters can freely vote for their preferred candidates over the past one and a half decades. In this context, ‘National Voters’ Day’ is being observed today, Sunday, in a changed political landscape. This year’s theme is ‘Let’s Vote Together in Our Bangladesh.’
Analysts argue that the fall of the autocratic Sheikh Hasina government does not automatically ensure a fair electoral environment. Several reforms in the electoral system are necessary to secure voting rights for all. The Electoral Reform Commission has already submitted a report to the government, and action must be taken based on its recommendations.
The parliamentary elections of 2014 and 2018 under the Awami League government severely damaged the electoral process, with widespread allegations of irregularities and vote rigging in both national and local government elections. The most recent 12th parliamentary election in 2024 was also one-sided, with the opposition boycotting the polls.
The Awami League government introduced National Voters’ Day while simultaneously undermining the right to vote. In 2018, its cabinet decided to observe 1 March as Voters’ Day, which was first officially marked in 2019 with the slogan ‘We will become voters, we will vote.’ Later, in 2020, the day was shifted to 2 March, which has been observed since then. Today, the Election Commission has organized a rally and discussion, alongside the release of an updated final voter list.
Experts in the electoral system note that no election under a party-led government has been fully fair, as the Election Commission has failed to act independently. The police and administration play a critical role during elections but have historically worked in favour of the ruling party. Elections under non-partisan governments, in contrast, have been more transparent and credible.
This time, elections will take place under an interim government, increasing the likelihood of fairness. However, a key challenge remains: the efficiency and neutrality of the police and administration. The police are responsible for maintaining law and order during elections, while administrative officials serve as returning and assistant returning officers. Since the fall of the Awami League government, the police force has not been fully operational, law and order have yet to be fully restored, and administrative stability remains uncertain.
On the other hand, no election has been held since the fall of the autocratic Sheikh Hasina government, and the newly constituted Election Commission is completely inexperienced in conducting elections.
As a result, the capacity of the new commission and the ability of the police and administration to perform their duties have not yet been tested. Much will also depend on how effectively the government implements the recommendations provided by the Electoral Reform Commission.
Election expert Abdul Alim told Prothom Alo that no election has been held since 5 August. From past experience, he noted that voting under a caretaker or interim government has not posed significant problems, yet in the last one and a half decades many people have lost interest in voting, making it challenging to enroll everyone on the voters' list. He hopes that the law and order situation will normalise before the next election, warning that if fear takes hold, people will avoid polling stations. For this reason, an "integrated election security system" needs to be planned.
Although the date is not yet fixed, the Election Commission led by AMM Nasir Uddin is preparing to hold the national election in December. They do not foresee any major challenges in organising fair elections under the changed political circumstances.
Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarkar told Prothom Alo that the theme of this year's National Voters' Day reflects the EC's confidence in transparent and fair voting, and that the commission is moving forward strongly and impartially to deliver the best possible election.
However, without the necessary reforms, it will not be possible to hold free, fair, and acceptable elections or build an effective electoral system, warned Badiul Alam Majumder, head of the Election Reform Commission and secretary of SHUJAN.
He told Prothom Alo that dictatorship did not fall from the sky—the existing rules, regulations, laws, procedures, and institutions played a crucial role in that change. Nonetheless, many challenges remain on the road to fair elections. The electoral and political arenas need to be cleansed, money politics must be curbed, the biased behavior of the police and administration needs to be addressed, the Election Commission must become more effective and accountable, and the information in candidates' affidavits must be verified. Achieving this will require a series of legal, institutional, and structural reforms.
*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat